INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE PRINCIPLE OF OBTAINING FREE PRIOR INFORMED CONSENT

As affirmed in International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Canada has an affirmative obligation to “promote the realization of the right of self-determination, and … respect that right, in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.” UN treaty bodies and other diverse entities require or support the standard of Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC). These include: UN General Assembly and specialized agencies, as well as regional human rights bodies.

In 2011, the International Finance Corporation announced: “For projects with potential significant adverse impacts on indigenous peoples, IFC has adopted the principle of ‘Free, Prior, and Informed Consent’ informed by the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.”

VICTORIA — B.C. Hydro was nine per cent over budget and already dipping into contingency funds from day one on the main construction contract at Site C, according to the uncensored version of a report to the B.C. Utilities Commission.

The troubles continue to the present day, with the $1.8 billion main civil works contract having run through three quarters of its contingency budget with only one quarter of the work being done.

Those and other disturbing details are contained in a report from Deloitte LLP, the consulting firm hired to scrutinize Hydro’s numbers as part of the cabinet-ordered review of the Site C dam project.

INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE PRINCIPLE OF OBTAINING FREE PRIOR INFORMED CONSENT

As affirmed in International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Canada has an affirmative obligation to “promote the realization of the right of self-determination, and … respect that right, in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.” UN treaty bodies and other diverse entities require or support the standard of Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC). These include: UN General Assembly and specialized agencies, as well as regional human rights bodies.

For included videos see http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/Update September 13, 2017

Two salmon farms in the Broughton Archipelago are now under occupation by First Nations.

Marine Harvest has paused restocking their Midsummer farm after a stand off between their packer and First Nations and now the occupiers are digging in. As the weather deteriorates they are making preparations as winter is coming. Communities are rallying around them. Other nations are noticing. Many are talking about individual “chiefs” who have sold out and given these companies access to BC waters for personal gain, with no consultation with the people.

The provincial government of BC can see this is getting serious, but they don’t have a plan. They are stuttering, unable to fully grasp the scope of what they are going to have to do. They are going to have to tell the Norwegians to move out of the territories of the nations want them out, or they are going to sit there and let this escalate. If so a lot of questions will erupt to the surface. The province is the landlord, they are renting First Nation territory to these Norwegian-run companies in violation of First Nation rights. The NDP put these farms here in the first place.

This milestone features the unveiling of the Longhouse Project, an unprecedented public art installation on the BC Legislature lawn, a historic Lekwungen village site. Four temporary longhouse structures will be raised featuring youth designs in the styles of Coast Salish, Kwakwaka’wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth, and South Pacific peoples. This project was produced in partnership with MediaNet and Nuu-chah-nulth artist Hjalmer Wenstob. Learn more